The United Kingdom government’s proposal for the further increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) has given some negative impacts to the tourism industry in the Pacific regions. This additional tax, which is scheduled for November 2010, is called by the members of the Pacific Tourism Leaders’ Forum as ‘ill conceived and draconian’.
They fear this tax because tourism has been included and considered as the top three income generators for most countries in the region. It is also undoubtedly as top sector for employment in almost all of them. With this, participants at the meeting organized by the Pacific Asia Travel Association fear the tax as a barrier to trade and development within the said region, given its high dependence on the tourist dollar.